The iPad Lawyer | The 10 Excuses of Those Who Aren’t Using iPads at Work

I have long argued that the use of an iPad – Apple’s magical little tablet – will save you time, make you more efficient, and help you be more profitable. In other words, it can turn you into a productivity wizard: someone who meets the needs and expectations of clients, judges, neutrals, and colleagues (and even yourself).

I have the rare opportunity to get to meet with lawyers and those in our profession from across the country who haven’t adopted the use of iOS technology as part of their office workflow. It continues to astound me when I hear all the reasons why our peers haven’t jumped headlong and determinedly into iOS use.

Finding the unproductive attorneys, paralegals, law clerks, and support staff around you is easy. Here are the excuses you’ll hear them make:

1. I’m too old to learn new stuff.
I’ve taught people in their 80’s to powerfully use an iPad as part of their business life. I’ve shown my iPad secrets to sitting judges and attorneys coming out of retirement who now want to be mediators. You’re never too old to learn about technology . . . unless you keep telling yourself that.

2. I don’t have the money to buy one.
Here’s a startling fact: American companies spend over $2 billion a year on Halloween candy. And the candy is then given away to boost employee morale and as a marketing ploy. Imagine if just a fraction of that money was spent on technology so that you can finally market and boost morale by being more productive and responsive. And, yes, you can buy refurbished or used iPads if you don’t want to get new ones.

3. I’m already swamped in information overflow; I don’t want more.
Here’s the cool thing about iPads (and other iOS devices) . . . they don’t increase the barrage of information if you don’t want them to; they reduce it and make it manageable. For the first time, you now have technology that works the way you want to work.

4. I don’t have the time for this.
Well, you actually don’t have time not to “do this.” Our profession isn’t changing when it comes to technology – IT HAS CHANGED. You can either be ahead of the curve and start doing what your competitors aren’t doing, or you can be left behind. Recent statistics show that nearly half of all U.S. attorneys have now started to employ an iPad. And the number is growing steadily.

5. I can’t do as much with an iPad as I can with my laptop or desktop.
I can’t help but laugh when I hear this one. Come to one of my live events and you’ll see my law office. I’ve worked in London and Paris and all over this country and at 30,000 feet armed with nothing more than my iPad and iPhone. My entire “iOS at Work” speaking career is built around showing you how to do everything on an iPad. If I can do it . . . you can surely accomplish the same thing.

6. I’ll wait for someone else to try all this stuff out first.
Here’s the thing: you have to be very careful who the “someone else” is that you’re waiting for. You could be waiting for a very long time unless you find a technology role model you can learn from. The important part of modeling technology success is to find a successful business person, learn the intimate details of what they are doing with technology to be a success, and then put those ideas to use in your own practice.

7. I don’t understand how an iPad can benefit me.
This could be an entire article in and of itself . . . heck, it could be a book. Oh, wait. That’s why I wrote “The iPad Lawyer” and “The Million Dollar iPad.” That’s why I run two blogs about iPad use. At the very least, take a look at http://milliondollaripad.wordpress.com (one of my free blogs) and then tell me you still can’t figure out how an iPad can boost your business.

8. I’m worried I’ll just waste time playing games.
And I worry you won’t pick up your iPad at all. Some recent statistics I’ve been given indicate that over 60% of iPads never leave home. Seriously? If you’re taking the iPad to work and playing games, that at least gets it to your office. The rest is actually simple: every time you go to write a note, pick up your iPad instead. Every time you go to check something online, pick up your iPad instead. I want you to start creating an iPad habit.

9. I’m concerned that the quality of my work will suffer.
What if I told you that, by being mobile and being able to work anywhere and anytime you’d like, you will be more creative, more particular about what you create, and – yes – the quality of your work will increase. You see, the use of an iPad and being mobile takes a lot of the anxiety and stress away. This leads to improved performance and stronger work product.

10. I might look stupid.
Yes . . . but only if you’re one of those at a sporting event holding up your iPad over the heads of everyone and taking video or photos. Think about it this way: when you use an iPad, you might actually start looking cool and cutting-edge, again!

The truth is staring us all in the face. If we don’t start using iPads in our practices, we are doomed to failure of one degree or another. Go out, get yourself an iPad, and start doing new things and being more productive. You might even find you’re having fun in the process. And that means everyone around you wins, as well!